Garth Crooks says only one Arsenal player actually impressed him vs Nottingham Forest

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BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has said Bukayo Saka was the only Arsenal player who impressed him against Nottingham Forest.

Crooks named Saka in his first Premier League team of the week of the season.

Mikel Arteta will be quite pleased with how his side played against Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season.

Arsenal dominated proceedings for much of the game but couldn’t put the match to bed and had to endure a nervy finish.

A wonderful piece of skill from Gabriel Martinelli set up Eddie Nketiah for Arsenal’s first league goal of the campaign.

Bukayo Saka produced a real moment of quality for Arsenal as he doubled their lead against Forest.

He picked up the ball on the right wing before cutting inside and curling the ball past Matt Turner in goal.

The American had a decent debut but would have been well aware of Saka’s quality and could do nothing about his brilliant strike.

Saka only Arsenal player who impressed Crooks against Forest

Writing about Arsenal’s victory on Saturday, Crooks said: “If Mikel Arteta is having to harass the fourth official, having played 30 seconds over the official seven minutes of time added on, then it is going to be a very long season for him.

“The truth is in their 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest, Arsenal looked like a relatively new team still trying to find its rhythm.

“In fact, they were lucky to come away with the points. Had Forest started the game the way they finished it this would have been a different result entirely.

“The only player who showed any real class or consistency in an Arsenal shirt was Bukayo Saka.

“It wasn’t just his outstanding goal that set him apart but his entire performance was just on point.”

Despite Saka and Nketiah’s goals for Arsenal, Forest got back into the game through a Taiwo Awoniyi goal from a blistering counter-attack.

The suggestion from Crooks that Arsenal were fortunate to win the match seems quite harsh.

Although the visitors rallied late on, it would have been very harsh if Arsenal hadn’t come away with three points.

Saka, unbelievable, appears to still be improving, while Kai Havertz was visibly amazed by his goal.

He will need to keep producing performances like that if Arsenal want to challenge at the top of the table this season.